The punishment

He lit his Cigar and looked out of the window. From where he stood, he could see his empire… a village that he ruled. He held total control over the small village that was spread roughly over 200 acres. In this tiny village, none defied him. He was the sole ruler of the village and people accepted that. He knew that this acceptance came out of fear but not respect. But what was respect really in front of power and strength?

He puffed on the cigar, lost in thoughts. He needed a man who was brutal yet intelligent to carry out what he had planned. This wasn’t going to anything like the liquor, the prostitution or the drugs business he ran. This was much more difficult task to carry out and he knew exactly whom he needed… Roshan. Roshan was a brutal yet a skilled man. He had laid people to rest and none even had the slightest hint that those were well planned murders and not accidents.

“You called for me Sir?” came his assistant’s voice.

“Ask Roshan to see me”, he replied and dismissed him with a wave of hand.

Assistant bent his head down and walked out of the room, knowing exactly what his boss had in mind.

After an hour…

“Sir, Roshan sir is here”, his assistant informed him and walked out of the room.

Roshan walked into the room with a smile on his face. Roshan looked nothing like what he really was. Roshan looked like a handsome, decent man who wasn’t capable of hurting a fly let alone committing cold blooded murders. May be that’s why people said, ‘Looks can be deceptive’.

“You wanted to see me”, he said taking the seat in front of his master.

“Yes, I have some work for you”, he said pouring himself and Roshan a glass of vodka.

“Who is it this time?” Roshan asked taking the glass.

Roshan knew that the only reason his master ever called for him was, when he had to lay some one to rest. He had committed 4 murders for him already and not slightest suspicion was raised in any of those.

“Vijay”, he said with no emotion in his voice.

“But…” Roshan protested for the first time.

His master raised his hand to stop him.

“He knows too much and that’s always dangerous. Besides I don’t have to tell you my reasons. It is up to you to do it or not. I won’t force you. I hope you get it”.

Roshan got exactly what he was trying to say. He knew that if he wanted something he would get it done by hook or crook. If Roshan dint take this job up, someone else would. Ofcourse, they might not do with as much perfection as him but his master had enough power and money to cover all those loop holes.

“Consider it done”, Roshan said.

After a week…

Even though the images were very distant and blurred, he could still manage to see them. He could see Vijay’s family break down. He could see his wife trying to force him to back to life in vain. Roshan had done a brilliant job. He had made this whole murder look like an accident and not a single soul doubted it.

He could feel a little tear rolling down his cheek. It had been over 30 years since Vijay started to work for him. And in these 30 years he had developed a soft corner for Vijay. Vijay was a good man, an innocent man and that was the reason he had done everything he could to keep Vijay away from the dirty work. He had rescued Vijay and given him a job when he needed it. At that time he had promised to show him better days. But as the days went by, he realized that Vijay was an honest man and could not survive in the illegal world. So, he had put Vijay in a clean, legal job with enough pay to run his family. He knew Vijay was the sole bread earner of a big family and many times he wanted to help but that would have raised suspension, so he never did. He never lied and hid his real face from Vijay. He loved and trusted that man. Everything changed 3 months ago when Vijay had tried to blackmail him for money. A mistake, he should have never committed. And in his world, the punishment for one mistake was death.